


Bedroom Conversations

by secretgardenfan (minflim)



Category: Secret Garden (TV)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, F/M, Family, Friendship, Marriage, Multi, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-11
Updated: 2020-06-11
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:29:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,751
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24656842
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/minflim/pseuds/secretgardenfan
Summary: Ah-young confides in Ra-Im that she and Secretary Kim are having problems in the *ahem* bedroom. Ra-Im asks Joo-won for his opinion. Post-canon, set about 3 years after Joo-won and Ra-Im get married.
Relationships: Kim Joo-Won/Gil Ra-Im
Kudos: 15





	Bedroom Conversations

If there’s one thing that Ra-Im has learned about her husband in their four years together, it’s that he has incredible physical stamina. Not to mention damnably creative when it comes to getting what he wants. The latter had been obvious to her from the start – witness the numerous strategies Joo-won had employed to get her to take notice of him, from the time they first met – but she didn’t expect the former. Not from someone who hardly exercises, on the grounds that the sweat and exertion “ruin his look”. For some reason, however, sex seems to be classified in Joo-won’s mind as a completely different activity, one that he has constant appetite and endurance for.

By the end of their first week of marriage, they’d made love in every room in the house, including her personal favourite, the library. To this day the sight of freshly falling snow makes Ra-Im smile inside, reminding her of the second night she spent with him as his wife, when she’d watched the snowflakes falling like shiny speckled stars over Joo-won’s shoulder, her arms around his neck and his body pressed tightly against hers on the library floor. Joo-won had quipped afterwards that she was the only woman whom he would be willing to roll around with on the ground, and Ra-Im laughed at the thought that she’d managed to make her germophobic husband succumb to his animal instincts.

Speaking of jokes, the old one about her romping with men in bamboo forests and cars came true on their first anniversary, when Ra-Im took him for his first-ever camping trip up in the mountains. On the first day, they ended up stuck inside their car because of a sudden snowstorm, and it turned out Joo-won had some pretty good ideas as to how they could pass the time. By the second night, the skies had cleared and her husband seduced her under the stars, their bodies cocooned in the warmth of their sleeping bag. The sounds of their pleasure were swallowed up in the vast silence of the dark snowy forest, two lovers making love in a wintery fantasy wonderland of their own.

Joo-won’s crowning achievement, however, had to be the time he sneaked on a set where she was filming and had his wicked way with her in her dressing room. Their eldest son, Dong-won, was the result of that particular encounter. Surprisingly, having two children – a toddler and a nine-month-old baby – hasn’t made much of a dent in their sex life, unlike what Ra-Im has heard is the norm for most married couples. Joo-won was insistent from the first that the children should sleep in a separate room once they were old enough, even going so far as to build a whole other building for Dong-won on the other side of the pond which U-yeong jokingly labelled “The Kiddy Palace”. Joo-won replied smoothly that he saw it as a good investment, given his abundant virility. Ra-Im rolled her eyes.

Although Ra-Im will never admit it out loud to anyone, this is one aspect of their marriage that she hopes will never change. Even after four years, she still loves making love to her husband, and more importantly, she loves the fact that he still wants her as much as he did when they were first married. She tells herself that this biased personal experience is what makes her react with shock when Ah-young confides in a whisper that she and Secretary Kim – by now Manager Kim – haven’t had sex for six months since the birth of their daughter, Ha-na.

They’re having a long-overdue coffee date in a café in Seorae Village, just like in the old days when they lived together as single girls in their one-room apartment in the suburbs. “Six months?” Ra-Im puts down the mug she had been cupping in her hands. She looks at Ah-young in stunned surprise. “That long?”

Ah-young purses her lips and looks down, and too late Ra-Im catches the look of sadness on her friend’s face. She mentally kicks herself for sounding so insensitive. Ah-young clearly mentioned this because she was already troubled, and Ra-Im’s instinctive response has probably just confirmed her doubts and made her feel worse about it. Before Ra-Im can say something soothing to smooth it over, Ah-yeong sighs heavily, resting her face on the palm of one hand. “I guess this isn’t the case for you and the President.”

Ra-Im feels her cheeks flush and tries not to look too abashed. In truth, she can’t imagine a time in their lives when she and Joo-won would go for six months without sleeping together. Maybe if she injured herself while filming, and he had to go overseas for work. But no, Joo-won would just complain endlessly and come up with all kinds of outlandish strategies to seduce her once he came back, and she would have missed him too much to resist. Ra-Im has always assumed that Ah-young and Secretary Kim have the same kind of relationship as she and Joo-won do. Certainly they’ve always seemed very much in love to her, from the days when Kim would show up at their old apartment, beaming, to surprise Ah-young with flowers. She reaches out to place a supportive hand on her friend’s arm. “Is it because of Ha-na? Is it because she has trouble sleeping at night?”

Ah-young frowns. “I thought so too, at first,” she says dejectedly. “And it _was_ bad, the first few months. There were nights when I didn’t sleep at all, because Ha-na cried so much. But the last few weeks she’s been better. She only wakes up about once now, and after I feed her, she goes back to sleep straightaway. I thought once she improved, we would go back to normal, but instead now Kim just sleeps the whole night through!”

Ra-Im thinks back to the first hazy weeks after Dong-won’s birth, when the predominant feeling she remembers experiencing was exhaustion. The delivery had been a difficult one, leaving her bleeding and feeling twinges of pain for weeks afterward, and it was a struggle to keep up with the baby’s erratic feeding and sleeping schedule. Joo-won had worked from home that entire first month, delegating practically everything to Director Park so that he could stay close to her side and look after her and the baby. At that point, sex had been the last thing on both their minds, although she recalls crawling, drained, into the warm shelter of his arms every night. On the day that she cleared her first-month check-up with the gynaecologist, Joo-won carried her up from the car to their bed and made love to her slowly, tenderly, cradling her in his arms as if she were something fragile and precious. The touch of his hands on her body, after the physical changes and stresses of becoming a mother, had reminded her again of what it was like to be a woman. She realises with a pang how Ah-young must feel, how any wife would feel in the same situation.

She nudges Ah-young’s arm. “Have you tried dropping some hints?” She tries to lighten the mood by winking suggestively at her long-time friend.

Ah-young looks down, and her voice trembles. “The other day after I put Ha-na to sleep, I put on a nightgown that used to drive him crazy. He just looked at me and didn’t say a word. So we both went to sleep, but I ended up crying in the toilet.”

Ra-Im feels dismayed, and then annoyed. How could Kim be treating Ah-young this way? _It’s hard enough to be a new mother, much less to feel unloved by your own husband_ , she thinks heatedly. _That stupid man. I wish I could give him a good kick._ She gets up and moves to sit next to Ah-young on the sofa, putting her arm around her friend and giving her a hug. Ah-young leans her head against Ra-Im’s supportive shoulder and sighs.

Ra-Im thinks back to all the times they sat together like this growing up, from the awful weeks after her father’s death to the day when Ah-young flunked her college exams and lost her place in technical college. The time Ah-young wept non-stop for five days after being dumped by her first boyfriend, and Ra-Im broke her collarbone from an accident in judo training, shortly after she joined the action school as a rookie. She pats Ah-young’s leg soothingly, the same way she did all those times before, offering her best friend a moment of wordless comfort and sympathy. She knows that Ah-young isn’t just sad about Kim’s behaviour; the sudden transition to motherhood, and all the changes that come along with it, would be overwhelming for anyone. They sit together like this for a while, listening to the soft clinks of coffee cups and murmured conversations of other diners around them.

Finally Ra-Im speaks. “I think you should speak to Kim,” she says firmly. She feels Ah-young’s eyes on her, but she looks straight ahead, trying to keep her tone neutral. “You shouldn’t be feeling unloved and unwanted, and if he’s making you feel that way, you should tell him. I’m sure he wouldn’t want to you to be hurt like this.” She chooses her words carefully, so that it doesn’t seem as if she’s blaming Kim for being an incompetent husband. No wife would react well to that. “I think he’s probably just going through a difficult adjustment, coping with the baby and his promotion. Joo-won’s giving him a lot more responsibility at the store now, so maybe that’s been stressing him out.”

There’s a long silence, and Ra-Im wonders if there’s something else going on that Ah-young hasn’t mentioned. _God, I hope he’s not having an affair or something. That would be horrible._ She’s relieved when her friend finally nods in agreement against her shoulder and whispers, “Okay. I think you’re right. I should talk to him. He probably just doesn’t know what I want.”

Ra-Im smiles then, thinking of Kim’s slightly bumbling, effusive demeanour. When all’s said and done, the man certainly isn’t a smooth-talking Casanova who would pick up on a woman’s non-verbal cues. Even if the woman happens to be his own wife. “Well, it’s true that he’s never been very good at these things. Remember the time when he kissed you because of the milk foam and you had to pour water all over him to teach him a lesson.”

The memory makes Ah-young grin, and Ra-Im is happy to see her friend’s face finally light up. “Maybe I should do that again,” Ah-young suggests mischievously. “Show him who’s boss.”

Ra-Im chuckles. “You should. That’s what I always do when Joo-won misbehaves.”

Ah-young smacks her arm playfully. “That’s different! Everyone in the store knows that President Kim always only has eyes for you. If you told him to climb Hallasan Mountain tomorrow, he would do it in a flash just to make you happy. You’ve trained him so well, he’s like a model husband.”

Ra-Im winces. “Please don’t say that. You make him sound like a dog.”

Ah-young winks at her. “He’s your dog though, so that’s okay.”

********

When Ra-Im gets home, she finds Joo-won in the library with their children. They make an interesting tableau, her husband in his tailored waistcoat cradling the sleeping baby in one arm while he intently studies a thick stack of financial reports. Dong-won crawls about on a blanket on the floor, energetically playing with his favourite wooden blocks. As she watches, her son picks up a big red block and waves it at his father, his mouth widening into a gummy grin.

Joo-won smiles and takes the block from him, placing it back on the floor and stacking a few others on top of it. “Look,” he tells the fascinated toddler confidingly. “If you put them on top of each other, you can build a skyscraper. They’re more profit-making than shophouses because they’re mixed land-use. You can rent out the lower floors to shops, and use the upper floors for offices or residences. That way, you make more money.” Dong-won gurgles, enraptured, and immediately starts stacking blocks enthusiastically with his small chubby hands. Joo-won laughs at his son’s antics and tousles the boy’s hair affectionately.

Ra-Im hides a smile behind her hand, then folds her arms across her chest, saying sternly, “Kim Joo-won, don’t tell me you’re already teaching your two-year-old son to become a mercenary _chaebol_?”

Joo-won looks up at the sound of her voice, and his expression warms when he sees her standing in the doorway. He gestures to her to come closer, then mock-whispers, “Just between you and me, I think Dong-won may have some innate talent for real estate. We’ll have to see if LOEL Enterprises can diversify into the construction business.”

Ra-Im laughs and leans down to give the baby a kiss. She pats Dong-won’s head, but the toddler is so engrossed in his blocks he doesn’t even look up. Joo-won catches her hand and tugs at it to get her attention. “What, no kiss for me?” he teases lightly. “Jeez, I’m already starting to be replaced by my sons. Next thing I know, you’ll be moving into the Kiddy Palace with Dong-won and I’ll be left here all alone.”

His words remind her of Ah-young’s predicament. Ra-Im raises her other hand to his cheek, then bends over to give him a long kiss on the mouth. “Never,” she murmurs confidently against his lips. “It’d be too boring for me at night.”

Joo-won cocks a playful eyebrow at her, pretending to cover the baby’s ears. “Ah, Kim Ra-Im, you saucy minx,” he admonishes. “Don’t say such racy things in front of the children!” He snakes an arm around her waist and pulls her close so that she has to perch on the side of his armchair. His voice lowers to the intimate tone he only uses with her in bed, and his fingers toy teasingly with the hem of her blouse. “You know it gets me all excited.”

Ra-Im laughs contentedly, resting her body against him and basking in the warmth of this perfect moment. “Too bad, you’ll have to wait until after dinner.”

********

That night, they lie together in bed, Ra-Im nestled against Joo-won’s shoulder. Her husband flips idly through trade magazines on the hotel industry in China, folding the corners of pages he finds useful. Following the success of Bichang Resort, LOEL Enterprises is scouting out the possibility of expanding into the Chinese market, specifically along the southern coast where there’s a growing demand for seaside resorts. Usually Ra-Im reads too, a habit she’s picked up from him, either translated novels or _manhwa._ Tonight, though, she’s too distracted thinking about Ah-young and Secretary Kim.

“What’s up?” Joo-won asks, without lifting his gaze from the magazine. He folds down another page corner, and she observes with amusement his scribble in the margin, _Get Kim to verify._ “Something’s been bothering you ever since you came back this afternoon. Did you and Ah-young have some kind of quarrel when you went for coffee?”

Ra-Im inwardly damns the fact that he knows her so well. She fidgets with the coverlet. “No, of course not.”

Joo-won looks up this time, and puts the magazine down on the bedside table. He doesn’t say a word, just focuses all his attention on her and waits patiently for her to speak.

Ra-Im sighs in capitulation, knowing that he’ll never drop the issue now. “Do you remember when Dong-won was born? That first month?”

Joo-won looks puzzled at her random question, then pretends to grimace. “Do I have to?”

Ra-Im chuckles, knowing exactly how he feels. “Not really. I didn’t realise until today that I’d almost completely blocked it out of my memory too. I also remembered that we didn’t have sex that entire month, not until I went for the check-up with Dr Song and she said I was okay.”

Joo-won’s expression is sober now, and she knows he’s thinking back to those difficult few weeks. “You were so tired every day,” he says slowly. “And I remember you were in a lot of pain. I was so worried about you. The last thing I would have wanted was to hurt you.” He reaches out to run his thumb gently over the knuckles of her hand, then glances at her, his eyes intent. “What’s wrong? Do you think you’re pregnant again?”

Ra-Im shakes her head empathically, slightly horrified. “No, no! It’s not about me. It’s about Ah-young and Secretary Kim.” Even after all these years, she and Joo-won still call him Secretary Kim. The name just stuck, even after he got promoted.

Joo-won looks astonished. “Ah-young and Secretary Kim? Don’t tell me _she’s_ pregnant again? Didn’t she just get back from maternity leave? Gosh, who knew that Kim would be such a randy punk.”

Ra-Im smacks him, half-amused, half-annoyed. “Don’t be ridiculous. It’s the exact opposite!”

Joo-won lowers himself down on the pillows and rests an arm over his face, covering his eyes. “Please don’t tell me that I now need to hear about the sex lives of my employees. It’s just too much. How will I look them in the face tomorrow?”

Ra-Im huffs in exasperation and crosses her arms over her chest. “Fine then, I won’t tell you. You were the one who was so desperate to know.” Out of the corner of her eye, she sees Joo-won peeking curiously out at her from under his arm. She continues, “I just thought you’d find it funny that they apparently haven’t had sex for the past six months.”

As she expected, that gets Joo-won’s attention, and he straightens up, shaking his head sorrowfully. “Wow, six months? Poor bastard. I must go easier on him at work. A married man and no sex for half a year. How can women be so cruel?”

Ra-Im can’t help giggling. “It’s not Ah-young who’s been stopping him! Apparently, Kim’s the one who’s been holding off, even when Ah-young wore some sexy nightgown.” Her expression sobers abruptly. “You don’t think he’s having an affair, do you? Why would he be behaving like this? I thought most men are dying for sex all the time.”

Joo-won points a finger at her. “Hey. I’ll have you know, not all men are as talented in the bedroom as I am. Some of them have no stamina at all. This is why I always tell you to count your lucky stars that you managed to snag me as your husband.”

Ra-Im rolls her eyes, ignoring him. “ _Do_ you think he’s having an affair? Or not?”

Joo-won slides down in bed beside her and takes hold of her arm, tugging at her insistently until she’s tucked securely against his side. “Seriously, woman,” he mutters. “What planet are you living on? Apart from the fact that he spent the last eight years of his life chasing Ah-young, do you think Kim has enough brains or discretion to coordinate an affair?”

Ra-Im relaxes against him, relieved. “That’s what I thought! Which is why I found it strange that he’s gone off sex with her. It just doesn’t seem normal. They haven’t been married all that long.”

Joo-won chews his lip thoughtfully, linking their hands and absentmindedly playing with her fingers. “I don’t think he’s ‘gone off her’, as you say,” he muses. “He’s probably dying to go back to having sex with her too. But maybe he doesn’t know if she’s ready yet after the baby, and he lacks the guts to either just go ahead with it or to ask her outright.”

Ra-Im turns his explanation over in her mind. It fits what she knows of Kim’s personality; she could easily see in him withdrawing from Ah-young due to a hesitation or shyness connected to his inner insecurities. She turns her head on the pillow to smile cheekily at her husband. “As opposed to you, who just charges ahead with full confidence.”

Joo-won grins back wolfishly and rolls on his side so that he’s facing her, their legs tangling together. “You’re right. That’s why I’m the CEO and he’s still only a manager.” His warm hands close over her hips, and in a breath, she finds herself under him, his pelvis against hers. She can feel him getting hard against her, and correspondingly, feels the soft place between her thighs begin to throb, aching to pull him in. Joo-won lowers over her, and his lips are at her throat. She shivers when she feels the gentle graze of his teeth on her neck. “Now that I’ve enlightened you about Kim’s sexual insecurities,” he murmurs, his breath hot against her skin, “Do you think you could focus your attention on your husband and what he’s about to do to you?”

Ra-Im opens to him in the way that she knows he loves, spreading her legs wide beneath him and sliding her arms up around his neck. She sees the glint of satisfaction in his eyes as he leans down to kiss her. Ra-Im knows she has to say it now, before she loses all capacity to speak. She presses a finger against his lips to hold him off. “I just wanted to tell you,” she whispers to him. “That I love you very much. And that I never want us to stop doing this.” She emphasises _this_ by sliding her hips down a little so that his erection is cradled between her thighs, and Joo-won feels himself pressing directly against the soft wet entrance of her body. Ra-Im turns her head so she’s speaking into his ear, and she feels her face flush at the intimacy of her own words. “I think I would die if you ever stopped wanting me.”

Joo-won feels the familiar heady rush of emotion that by now he has accepted as the inevitable effect that Ra-Im always has on him. He looks down into his wife’s smiling eyes, the lines of her face softened by love and lust, and takes her lips in a deep kiss, even as his fingers work busily down below, sliding under the lace of her panties into the wet heat of her body. “Don’t worry, love,” he murmurs truthfully, his voice husky with need. “I think I’d die before I ever stop wanting you.”

In response, Ra-Im kisses him fiercely back, they both roll over, and all thoughts of Ah-young and Secretary Kim are completely forgotten.


End file.
